Traffic guide



Sept. 6, 1938. M. A. MULIERI v 2,129,503

TRAFFIC GUIDE Filed April 10, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAFFIC GUIDE Michael A. Mulieri, New York, N. Y.

Application April 10, 1937, Serial No. 136,061

1 Claim. (01. 94-1.5)

This invention relates to trafiicguides of the not be subjected to damage or undue shock or character which project above the surface of the strain.

pavement to physically divide a street or high- Other and further objects will appear from the way into lanes appropriate for'itraffic moving in following specification.

-.5 opposite directions, or to divert traffic to either Referring to the drawings which form a part side of safety zones, trolley stations, etc. Heretoof this specification: fore guides or guards of this type, as distinguished Figure 1 is a plan view of a short traffic guide from mere markers, have been of two classes, section embodying the features of my invention. namely: low, flat, or inclined structures which Figure 2 is a sideelevation of the device emon may be safely crossed; and comparatively high, bedded in the pavement, the pavement being li substantial barriers calculatedto-prevent vehicles shown in cross section.

from transgressing the'boundaries they define. Figure 3 is an end elevation of the guide em- Constructions of I the first class are primarily bedded in the pavement as shown in'Figure2. markers and depend to a large degree for their Figure 4 is a plan View of a highway or street efiectiveness upon the care and responsibility of adjacent an intersection, showing a plurality of 1 the motorists and the penalties exacted for violamy guide sections dividing thehighway 1ongitudi 'tions of the traflicregulations. The second class nally. 0f guards are usually constructed with straight Figure 5 is a fragmental end elevation of a secside Walls which present a hazard to traflic, ention appropriately marked for the use illustrated 20 dangering vehicles which may inadvertently in Figure 4.

swerve against them. Moreover, the side Walls Figure 6 is a plan view of a street or highway of such barriers ordinarily afford sufficient trachaving trolley car tracks" extending centrally tion for the vehicle to pass over them, so that they thereof and a plurality of my improved guide fall in their primary-"purpose in that the transsections arranged parallel to divert trafiic to gressing vehicle ultimately crosses into the adeither side of atrolley car station. 5 'jacent lane "of ftraflic where it is in imminent Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 showing danger of being struck by other cars to which it a section appropriately marked for the use illusimmediately becomes a menace. trated in Figure 6.

Itis a principal object of this invention, there- As shown in Figures 1 to 3, each section of my fore, to provide an improved traflicseparator or improved traffic guide consists of a narrow solid 30 guide having its side walls so formed that it is body or block 9 of cast iron,or other strongmateless likely to afiord sufficient traction surface for rial, having a flanged base Hi, the side walls of the wheel of "a swerving-vehicle to climb over it, the base tapering upwardly so that when embut will i tend to guide an obliquely impinging bedded in the pavement 25 the base presents sides wheel back on the proper course Without sub- Hll of substantial area against the paving ma- 35 jecting the-vehicle to undue shock or damage. ,terial in the relation of an inverted keystone,

Another object is to provide an improved structhereby firmly anchoring the device in the paveture of light weight and great strength which ment. will occupy a minimum of space in the roadway. The top surface l2 is preferably flat and painted 40 A further object is to provide an improved guide White to increase its visibility and its side margins 40 of this character which may be readily and ecoare beveled or rounded off at l3--l3. Figures 1-3 nomically manufactured and installed in sections and 7 show the top margins beveled while Figure of convenient lengths, certain or all of said sec- 5 illustrates the rounded edge margins. The side tions having end wall portions disposed at an walls I4-M are recessed from closely adjacent oblique angle to the surface of the pavement to the beveled or rounded margins of the top to the 45 provide display surfaces for traffic directions, base Ill, thus defining narrow longitudinal side warnings, or other markings, in planes normally flanges l5-l'5, the side walls preferably receding within the view of the mtorist, so that such markgradually so that the sides present concave or ings or directions may be conveniently observed arched surfaces. Formed in this manner the deat substantial distances and without requiring vice is comparatively light and economical of ma- 50 the motorist to divert his attention from the roadterial and the lightness and economy are obtained way. A further object is to provide such inclined without sacrificing materially the strength esend portions at angles such that a wheel driven sential for its purposes. against the end of a section may easily ride up The upper portions at either or both ends of onto the top of the device and the vehicle will each section are inclined at an angle of about 55 forty-five degrees, thereby providing upwardly and outwardly facing display areas l6 for traffic markings, such as the direction indicators shown. Such markings are preferably represented in materials of contrasting color having high light refleeting properties sunken or recessed in the display surfaces.

Each section 9 is preferably of an over-all height of about twelve inches, of which approximately four or five inches, including the base if), is embedded in the pavement. The sections may be of any convenient lengths and for the purposes illustrated in Figure 4 I have found that lengths of about five feet are well suited. Shorter sections, such as illustrated in Figures 1-3, will be found useful for the junctions of forked roads or for defining and bounding the limits of safety zones, or trolley car stations as illustrated in Figure 6.

Referring particularly to Figure 4, the sections are embedded in the pavement 25 in end to end relation intermediate the side walks 2626. The sections may be placed in close abutment or with a space between 21 to permit drainage. They may also be made in forms curved to conform to the curves in the road or highway, if desired, although the use of straight sections of moderate length can usually be satisfactorily arranged slightly out of alignment to accommodate all ordinary road curvatures.

Installations on new roads will require only that the sections be set in position on the road foundation preliminary to the emplacement of the surface paving. Installations on existing streets or highways will only require cutting a small section of the road surface due to the narrowness of the sections.

Installed on the road in the manner illustrated in Figure 4, the sections afford a substantially continuous guard or guide calculated to prevent violation of various traffic regulations, preventing automobiles from going out of line into the wrong side of the road, preventing U turns, and discouraging speeding. Being narrow, my improved guide occupies a minimum of space which might otherwise be made available to traffic and, being of substantial height above the pavement, pedestrians are discouraged from attempting crossings except at proper intersections.

Aside from the lightness, economy, and strength of the sections and the space economy they obtain, their peculiar shape obtains important advantages. For instance, if the wheel 36 of an automobile should impinge endwise against an endmost section, as indicated in Figure 2, the inclination of the display surfaces, being tangential to the periphery of the wheel, will afford traction for it and permit the wheel to roll up onto the top surface of the section without damage or undue shock. If a car running substantially parallel to the guard swerves against it, the tire of the car wheel will obliquely impinge only against one of the narrow flanges l5, as indicated in Figure 3, and since the flange is very narrow, insufficient traction is afforded for the wheel to climb over the guard and the wheel is caused to pivot back on a proper course. When the device is made of metal, such as cast iron, or other smooth material, and particularly when the narrow flanges l5 are rounded as shown in Figure 5, the tire of a wheel riding against the guard will be subjected to very little, abrasion or wear.

If the side walls as well as the top are painted, tires cannot ride against the recessed areas of the side walls and therefore will not wear away the paint. The display surfaces H5 at the ends of the sections are faced in the normal plane of vision of the vehicle operators and may be marked to give ample and frequent warnings or directions which will be readable at considerable distances without requiring that the motorist divert his attention from the road.

Short sections may be conveniently and effectively employed to define or bound the limits. of safety zones or trolley car stations. A plurality of short parallel sections arranged for the latter use are illustrated in Figure 6 in which 25 indicates the roadway, 2B'-26 the sidewalks, and the trolley car tracks are designated at 28. On the near side of the intersection, the sections 9-9 protect the trolley station 29 and their outwardly facing display surfaces are appropriately marked as shown in Figure 7. Other and further arrangements and uses will occur to those skilled in the art to which this invention relates.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a roadway, a traflic guide comprising a plurality of oblong sections arranged end to end, each of said sections having a base portion embedded in the roadway and an integral portion projecting above the surface of the roadway a distance less than the radius of a road wheel, a narrow outwardly extending flange at opposite sides of the top of each section, the side walls of each section being recessive betweeen said flanges and the surface of the roadway, whereby a vehicle wheel impinging against a side of the guide can abut only against said flanges, upper end portions of certain of said sections being beveled, the slope of said beveled portions being substantially tangential to the periphery of a vehicle road I wheel.

MICHAEL A. MULIERI. 

